Iran raps Canada for stopping verification of Iranian medical credentials

Iran has criticized Canada’s “discriminatory” move to stop verifying the authenticity of credentials issued for the graduates of Iranian medical schools.

“Instrumentalizing the right of education, which is among the fundamental rights of humans, is an incorrect and discriminatory measure,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said on Sunday.

She added that medical education is directly linked to people’s health and life.

She expressed regret over the decision adopted by Canada’s Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), noting that Iranians have always been among top medical graduates.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is examining the necessary options and measures for the lifting of the restriction imposed on its nationals, and hopes it will end at the earliest,” Afkham said.

Her remarks came after the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) said it has received notification from the ECFMG, as its source verification provider, that the ECFMG is not processing incoming and outgoing credentials issued by Iranian schools and institutions at this time.

ECFMG, based in the United States, is assessing whether the current US law permits interactions with educational, healthcare, and medical licensing institutions in Iran.